Upholstery-former.



J. KRON HEIM.

UPHOLSTERY FORMER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR.15, 1913.

Patentedl Sept. 29, 1914.

3 SHIRTS-SHEET 1.

'HH-3 Nome/5 PFM/er, 4.o.. Pimm-11H10., w/LSIHNUTON. D. c

J. KRONHEIM.

UPHOLSTERY FORMER,

APPLICATION FILED 1111111.15, 1913.

1, 1 1 1,965. Patented sep. 29,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q Z4# 6, I

THE NORRIS PETERS COI, PHoTo-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. KBONHBIM. UPHOLSTERY FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. l5, 1913.

1,1 1 1,965. Patented sept. 29, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

nuentoz THE MORRIS PETERS Co.. FHaTo-MTH w/ISHlNLsrUN. l: t

JACOB KRONIQIEIM, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

UPHOLSTERY-FORMER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

` Application led March 1551913. Serial No. 754,536.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JACOB KRONHEIM, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented cer tain new and usefullmprovements in Upholstery-Formers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had there in to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in means for manufacturing upholstery and the object of the invention is to provide sim# ple and convenient means for upholstering vehicle seat backs, whereby the work is cheapened and facilitated, the invention con"- sisting in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which-f- Figure l is a plan view of a mold mem ber embodying features of the invention; Fig. 2 is an edge elevationof the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1 showing upholstery and members or forms in operative position; Fig. l is a transverse section through Fig. 3 showing the mold withina suitable press; Fig. 5 is an end elevation of va suitable forming table and press with the mold in operative position thereon; Fig. 6` is a plan view of Fig. 5 with parts removed; Fig. 7 is a perspective detail of a finishing strip; Fig. 8 is a detail illustrating the manner of securing the upholstery to vthe vehicle body; Fig. 9 is a perspective detail illustrating the manner of securing the lower' edge of the upholstery to the body seat; Fig. 10 is a vertical section througha vehicleseat showing the manner of securing the upholstery in place thereon; Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a receiving frame for holding the formed upholstery while the same is being re-formed and adjusted before its application to the vehicle seat; and Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of a modified construction of clamping means for the molds.

The method which is carried out by the machine embodying this invention and which forms the subject matter of al separate application consists in tufting a strip of upholstery in the flat and at the same time forming thereon an upper edge roll `and properly folding and forming the lower edge and securing the same to suitable securing strips. The strip vof upholstery is then bent or formed, and at the same time held against distortion, to conform to the curve ofthe seat back and arms, and a properly formed finishing strip is made fast to the edge of said roll. The upholstery thus formed and held is then ready to be set 1n place upon` a vehicle seat and made fast thereto by securing the securing strips to the seat bottomand the finishing strip to the upper edge of the back; said finishing strip taking` the `place of the finishing strip usuv Patented sept. 29, 1914.

ally provided upon the vehicle seat back. y

As illustrating suitable means embodying the invention for carrying out this method of upholstering seat backs, mechanism is shown in the accompanying drawings, but it will be understood `that changes "may be made in the construction or arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of this invention.

As shown in the drawings, arnold block 1 isfprovided. comprising a central straight section and `end sections y2`co1`mected thereto by hinges 3, said sections being formed with a rib 4 along one edge, which rib has in crosssection'a curved side, andin plan view,

an outline which is substantially the same as the outline of the strip of leather which `is cut ofthe proper size and shape to form the facing 5 of the'upholstery and ofthe .strip 6 which forms the backing therefor.

Distributed over the face of the mold sections are holders 7 in which arel placed upholstery buttons 8 with their shanks 9 extending therefrom and so positioned that when` the facing and backing strips are placedthereon with a filling 10 of curled hair or other suitable material betweenthem and then pressed down thereon, the buttons will be properly placed .to pierce the strips and forni the desired arrangement of tufting. `To so press the-material down upon the button shanks and form it against the curved side ofthe rib g4, a board 11 is provided to engage the4 body portion of the upholstery, and edge or margin strips 12 which are formed to conform to the rib, are provided to press the material down upon the curved forming side of the rib to give to that portion of the tufted strip which forms the upper edge of the upholstery, the proper rounded form with the edge of the facing laid in proper folds, as shown at 13 in Fig. `3. The board 11 is formed with a series of holes to receive the points of the button Shanks when the board is forced. down by a suitable press comprising a hand operated screw 14 (see Fig. 4). The strips 12 are pressed toward the mold simultaneously with the board by providing arms 15 on said board extending over said strips.

When thevupholstery has been properly formed inthe mold bythe press, iny an extended or flat position and the button shanks have been clenched down upon the backing. to hold the tufting, the end edges of the facing backing are stretched, formed over and made fast to end fastening strips 1 6 by tacks or' other suitable means, and the bottom edges of said facing and backing are also` stretched, formed around, laid in plaits and then tacked or otherwise secured to bottorn securing strips 17 extending along the portion of. the" upholstery and strips 18 ztlng' the' lowerV edges of the arm portions. The upholstery lis thus formed up in the flat with. its edges finished and edge roll formed for application te' the vehicle seat. In order that the` flat strip or upholstery thus formed be quickly' and easilyapplied toV a vehicle seat a'nd when so applied will have the pro' 'er curve to fit thecurve of the seat, the fs'aichmold block 1 is made of a plurality of hinge' connected parts as' described, so that thejcnd; sections 2 upon which the arm portions of the upholstery are formed, may be turned downward to form said portions around into a shape approximating that of theve iile seat back and arms. To so' turn and hold' the end portions of the mold and frm .the iipholster down thereon, at the sanievtilnehlding t "e rolled or formed edge lportion` of the upholstery against distortion,

suitable forming table y19,*shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is provided to support the mold when l removed. from the press shown in Fig. 4,

,thisg table is provided with vertical. standards 2 '0 at one edge for supporting a` cross-bar 21 extending horizontally over the table at a distance above the same. This bar car-ries a hand screw 22 provided with a foot at its lower end to engage the center` margin strip 12 and hold the formed edge of the upholstery firmlyv against the curved portion of the center section of the mold so that it cannotbe distorted when the end or arm. iortions of the Aupholstery are folded downward at each side of the table 19 upon the end sections 2 of the mold which are ,tiirrned kdownward against stops 23 on the sides of the table. Swinging bars 24 piv` otally attached to the ends of the cross bar 21are, adapted to be swung into engagement rwit the-end sections of the margin strips 12 an press vsaidsections firmly against the arm portions of the upholstery along the f edges thereof to hold said arm portiqo sin place and prevent vdistortion of the formed edge of the upholstery. These bars 24 are swung'. toward each other and rrnly held by means of a rod 25 passing through said hars and provided with a hand' wheel 26 on a screw threaded end of the rod in engage- -shown in Fig. 7, is placed just inside the formed up edges 13 of the facing and backing andy said edges tacked or otherwise Secured thereto, as shown in Fig. 6. This finishing strip is made to just fit the outer face of the vehicle seat back and arms adjacent to the upper edge thereof, conforming to the curveof said edge' in each direction and taking the place of alike strip which is commonly secured to said edge by the body maker when the vehicle body is manufactured.

After the finishing strip has been secured to the edge of the formed upholstery, said upholstery with said stripv uaon its upper edge and the securing strips 1 and 18 upon its lower edge, is removed from the table, the finishing strip holding the upholstery in its curved shape, and may` be at once applied to' a vehicle seat by setting it in place thereon with the finishing strip against the outer side of the upper edge of the back and portions. vThe upholstery may then be readily secured in place upon the seat back and arms by nailing or otherwise securing said finishing strip to said edge and the securing strips 17 and 18 may be nailed to the seat frame or preferably, they are provided with ears 28 formed from sheet metal and provided with openings to receive screws for screwing them to the seat frame, said ears' projecting forwardly from said strips beneath the lower edge of the leather of the upholstering so that they may be readily `secured in place. When the vehicle seat body is provided with an arm 29 for the attachment of a vehicle top, as shown in Fig'. 8, the strip 27 will bev cut in two opposite said arm so that the strip may be placed over the edge of the body.

Should it be desirable to rcx-arrange the padding or filling of the edge roll or tufts of the upholstery after it has been formed up as described and removed from the table 19, it may be placed in and secured to an open frame 30 which has aform substantially the same as that of the vehicle seat back and arms. While the upholstery is accurately and firmly held in this frame 30, the workman may conveniently get at the back side of the upholstery through the frame and with a suitable tool may re-arrange the filling to give a Smooth even tufting.

By the method described, upholstery may be made up independently of the vehicle body or seat in such a way that it may be very quickly and' accurately secured in place by any workman of ordinary skill and the upholstery itself may be made and formed by' unskilled' labor with the use of the molds and mechanism described. By use of the hinged molds and parts as arranged the upholstery may be made in the flat withv the rolled edge formed thereon so that the tufts may be accurately formed and the folds in the leather accurately made. The work is thus greatly facilitated and a high grade of work turned out without the necessity of employing skilled upholsterers. The finishing strip 27 not only serves as a member to which the edge of the upholstery is secured after the same has been properly formedto hold it in place, but also holds the body of the upholstery in shape for ready application to the seat.

A modification of the clamping means shown in Fig. 5 is sho-wn in Fig. l2, the screw shaft 22 being provided with a drum 31 on its lower end upon which cables 32 are wound when the hand wheel or the shaft is turned to run the screw down and bring the foot thereon into contact with the center margin strip l2. The opposite endsof said cables are attached to the bats 24 and thus when the shaft is turned and the cables wound upon the drum, said bars will be swung inward into contact with the end strip 12 and clamp the arm portions of the upholstery. rlhe drum and cables are substituted for the rod 25 andhand wheel 26, and operate to swing the bars 24 simultaneously with the turning of the screw.

Gbviously other changes may be made in the apparatus embodying theinvention and in the form and arrangement of parts thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not therefore limit my-4 self to the construction or arrangement of parts or forms shown.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is l. An upholstery former for the back and arm portions of a seat, comprising a mold adapted to have upholstery shaped thereon, said mold being provided with end portions adapted to be turned out of the plane of the body portion thereof and means confronting the turnable end portions of the mold and movable relatively thereto and adapted to press the material forming the upholstery against the mold and hold th'e same against distortion after the end portions of the mold are turned.

2. An upholstery former for the back and f arm portions of a seat comprising a mold having end portions adapted to be turned laterally out of the plane of the body portion of the mold, means for holding the material forming the upholstery upon the mold, and means confronting the turnable end portions of the mold and movable relatively thereto and adapted to clamp the end portions of the upholstery against the end portions of the mold after the Same are turned out of the plane of the body portion.

3. An upholstery former for the back and arm portions of a seat, comprising a mold formed of a plurality of hinge connected parts and means forming part of said former and movable relatively to the hinge connected parts for holding the material form' the turned end portions of thernold an movable relatively thereto for holding upholstery in contact with the mold and its end portions. r

5. An upholstery former for the back and arm portions of a seat, comprising a mold formed of a plurality of hinge connected sections each formed with an edge portion adapted to form a roll along one edge of an upholstery strip, a plurality of edge strips formed to conform to the shape of the rolled edge of the upholstery strip to hold said strip against distortion when the end portions of the mold are turned out of the plane of the intermediate portion thereof, and means for engaging and holding said edge strips. y

6. An upho-lstery former for the back and arm portions of a seat comprising a mold formed of a plurality of hinge connected sections each formed with an edge portion adapted to form a roll along one edge of an upholstery strip, a plurality of edge strips formed to conform to the shape of the rolled edge of the upholstery strip to hold said strip against the mold and prevent distortion when the end portions of the mold are turned out of the plane of the intermediate portion thereof, a member to hold the edge strip opposite the intermediate portion of the mold in contact with the upholstery strip, a pair of members to hold the edge strips opposite the end portions of the mold in contact with the upholstery, and means for simultaneously moving the members of said pair to clamp the edge strips against the turned ends of the upholstery.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in `presence of two witnesses.

JACOB KRONHEIM.

Witnesses:

Lnwrs E. FLANDERS, ANNA M. Donn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

